Lamborghini's Veneno Roadster $4.5m super racer (pictures)

Lamborghini beast

As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, Lamborghini will launch a super-limited run of one of its most exclusive models: the $4.5 million Veneno Roadster.

Like the Veneno before it, the Veneno Roadster makes extensive use of carbon fiber. All the car's exterior parts are made from carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), as is the monocoque, to make the car simultaneously lightweight and strong, bringing the weight to just 3,285 pounds.

Need for speed

A 12-cylinder engine with a displacement of 6.5 liters and fast-shifting ISR transmission powers the Veneno Roadster. The beast has a top output of 552kW (750hp), accelerates from 0 mph to 62 mph in just 2.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 220 mph.

Look ma, no roof!

Although the vehicle doesn't have a roof, it is installed with a CFRP rollover bar to meet road safety standards. "The design is focused on optimum aerodynamics and stability through fast corners -- with handling akin to that of a racing prototype," Lamborghini said. "Yet it is fully road legal." The super sports car will be limited to just nine production models in 2014.

Optimum flow

The car has been designed for aerodynamic efficiency, with a body that promotes optimum downforce and minimal drag. The front end works as a sort of aerodynamic wing, while the rear fenders optimize the aerodynamic flow. Meanwhile, the alloy wheels are ringed by a carbon fiber rim, which works like a turbine to deliver cooling air to the carbon-ceramic brake discs.

Peek inside

Inside, the car is also heavy on carbon fiber. Parts of the bucket seats, constructed from Lamborghini's patented Forged Composite, are clad in carbon-fiber CarbonSkin, which also lines the entirety of the cockpit.

Rosso Veneno

The prototype car is painted a brilliant, vivid red -- "Rosso Veneno," a shade developed especially for the Veneno Roadster. Each buyer, however, will be able to customize the car's color to suit his or her tastes.